those who when they are struck by an affliction a calamity say ‘Surely we belong to God we are His possession and servants with whom He does as He pleases; and to Him we will return’ in the Hereafter whereupon He will requite us in one hadīth it is said that ‘whoever pronounces the istirjā‘ sc. the formula ‘surely we belong to God and to Him we will return’ when an affliction befalls him God will reward him and compensate him with what is better’. Similarly it is said that on one occasion when his lamp blew out the Prophet s uttered the istirjā‘ whereupon ‘Ā’isha said to him saying ‘But it is just a lamp’ to which he replied ‘Whatever bothers a believer is an affliction of sorts’ this is reported by Abū Dāwūd in his section on mursal reports.
